English Explanatory Dictionary

defeat

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To overcome in battle or contest.
  2. To reduce, to nothing, the strength of.
  3. To nullify
  4. To prevent (something) from being achieved.
noun
  1. The act or instance of being defeated, of being overcome or vanquished; a loss.
  2. The act or instance of defeating, of overcoming, vanquishing.
  3. Frustration (by prevention of success), stymieing; (law) nullification.
  4. Destruction, ruin.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈfiːt/ en-us-defeat.ogg

Word forms

defeat defeats defeating defeated no-table-tags glossary defeatest defeatedst defeateth

Etymology

From Middle English defeten, from Middle English defet (“disfigured”, past participle) and defet (“defect”, noun), see Etymology 2 below.

Synonyms

vanquish overcome beat bring down convince chew up eat someone for breakfast eat someone's lunch flog humble kick ass malavogue murdelize outfox outguess outrun outsmart outwit overpower overwin own pulverise pwn rape reduce spank steal the show subdue subvert surmount thrash trounce

Antonyms

bite the dust capitulate eat someone's dust forfeit give up lose strike one's flag surrender relinquish wave the white flag yield victory

Related words

defeasance defeasible defeater defeatism defeatist defeature

Derived words

defeatable defeatingly defeat the purpose redefeat self-defeating undefeatability undefeatable admit defeat defeatican defeatless defeatocrat snatch defeat from the jaws of victory snatch victory from the jaws of defeat social defeat
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